Heat exchanger



June 17, 1958 G. Rossl HEAT EXCHANGER 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 25, 1954 INVEN TOR. @CWM Ihm' BY fum@ s. Mm

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June 17, 1958 Filed May 25. 1954 HEAT rExcHAmsEu- 6 Sheets-Shet 6 Fig. 12

United itates 2 Claims. (Cl. 257-222) The present invention relates to a heat exchanger particularly suitable for high pressures and corrosive liquids.

It is an object of the present invention to realize a heat exchanger uniting the following characteristics:

(l) Expanded and/or welded tubes;

(2) Tubes of the end tube plates fully accessible for cleaning out solid materials from vapor sublimation in the conduits or from incrustations due to other causes;

(3) The use of very long tubes in order to have a large exchange surface in a small diameter outer shell;

(4) Tubes working only under tension and requiring therefore a limited thickness which is particularly interesting when high-priced materials have to be used, which generally possess but a limited ability to withstand mechanical stresses;

(5) Possibility of shortening the tubes for re-expansion, they not being bonded by any xed point (for maintenance, breakage, repair etc.);

(6)l Internal tube bunch free to expand;

(7) Simplication on the whole in respect to the known types and consequent lower cost.

The exchanger according to the invention is substantially characterized by the fact that the conduits of the tube bunch through which the inner iluid circulates are xed by at least one of their ends to a tube plate free in respect to the shell through which circulates the inner i'luid, so that the conduits of the tube bunch be stressed under tension by the effect of the internal pressure and Afree to expand in respect to the shell for the external uid.

The invention will be described with reference to the annexed schematic drawings given only as an indicative example and in which:

Fig. l shows in longitudinal section a rst form of realization of the-exchanger;

Fig. 2 is a cross section according to line II-li of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a cross section according to line HI-II of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a cross section according to line IV-lV of Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is a detail, sectioned and on a larger scale, of the free tube plate of the exchanger illustrated in Fig. l;

Fig. 6 is a sectioned detail of the separating diaphragm of the internal iluid chambers;

Fig. 7 shows a sectioned variant of the free tube plate;

Fig. 8 is a cross section of the above;

Fig. 9 is a section of a constructional variant of the free tube plate;

Figs. l0, ll and l2 showin a longitudinal section three dilerent constructional forms of the exchanger according to the invention.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 6, A indicates the outer cylindrical shell of the apparatus, in which the external fluid entering from above through tting 1 circulates and leaves, also from above, from connection 2. Shell A is closed at its ends by removable flanged upper 3, and lower 4, covers. Between upper cover 3 and cylindrical shell A tube plate 5 is closed water tight, and to it are xed the een mi U ft? t?. ends of tubular elements B in which the inner .fluid circulates.

The connection between such tubular elements and plate 5 can be effected by expansion and/or welding.

The inner iluid reaches chamber 6 comprised between cover 3 and tube plate 5 through connection 7, and leaves the apparatus, after having reached chamber S comprised between cover 3 and tube plate 5, through connection 9.

The two chambers 6 and 8 are separated from one another by a water tight plane diaphragm 1i) welded to cover 3 and cooperating at its lower border with a diametral groove of tube plate 5 (Fig. 6) and a gasket 11 disposed at the bottom of said groove.

Tubular elements B are connected at their other end to a second tube plate 12, parallel to the rst one. Plate 12 carries as many through holes having their axes square with their bases, as tubes B are. The latter have their ends disposed inside said holes and are connected to the plate by expansion. Holes 13 are closed by means of screw caps 14 permitting said tubes to be cleaned. Hydraulic connection between the several conduits B in plate 12 is obtained by means of cross holes 15 closed at the end with screw caps 16.

The inner uid of chamber 6 travels therefore one half of tubes B and then ilows, through conduits 15, into the other half of tubes B, discharging into chamber S and therefrom to the outside. By providing the cylindricall shell A with a central diaphragm 17 in line with diaphragm 1t) for the shell fluid, movement of the two'tluids is obtained in counter-current, improving the transmission of heat. Diaphragm 17 will, ofcourse, have to permit a passage for the outer fluid in correspondence with the lower part of body A.

The lower cover 4 is provided with an opening 18 for bottom discharge.

Conduits B may be differently employed for the passage ofthe inner fiuid by disposing, for instance, more than one diaphragm like 10 in the chamber 6-S and eventually putting in communication each tube in tube plate 12 with t'ne return tube of the iluid upward.

Tube plate 12 can be constructed as indicated by Fig. 5 as a single element, or else it .can be composed of several parts.

Fig. 7 shows a free tube plate realized by means of two metallic discoidal elements 20 disposed parallel with each other and spaced by a cylindrical element 21 to which they are welded.

Conduits B' have their ends connected to one of plates 2t) while on the other plate removable caps 22 are provided for cleaning.

To the end of improving the strength of the tube plate, the latterA is provided with one or more cylindrical through pins 23 welded at the outside to discoidal elements 20.

Inside of the tube plates realized in this manner, diaphragms can be disposed intended to determine'the desired travel of the inner fluid.

Diaphragms o such a type are represented in Fig. 8.

ln Fig. 9 the tube plate is of the demountable type, realized with two metal discoidal elements 25 provided with a projecting peripheral lip 26 playing the part of a distance piece and interconnected by a circle of bolts 27.

Between the two lips 26 a gasket 23 is provided.

Tubular elements E" are anchored to one of the plates 25.

Auxiliary tension bolts 29 increase the stability of the apparatus by acting in contrast with a co-axial tubular distance piece 30.

In this case the inspection and cleaning plugs are not provided inasmuch as plate 25 to which tubes B are not connected .can be removed as a whole from the other plate 25.

The exchanger accordingto Fig. drical outer envelope 31 with inlet and outlet connections 32 and 33 for the outer ud, an upper tube plate 34 to which plate tubes 35 for ythe inner uid-are anchored,

` and' a lower tube' plate 36 made of two elementsjremovably .connected to each other in a way similar to Fig.4 9.

i The arrival of the inner uid'takes place through center conduit 37 which is also connected to tube p1ates'34 and V36. From tube plate 36 the fluid ascends into conduits 35 and goes out through'connection 38 of cover 39 with which cylindrical outer envelope 31 is provided.

The exchanger according to Fig.,11 comprises a cylinfdrical outer envelope 40 provided withouter uid inlet andV outlet connections 41 and 42, Va tube platel 43 which ris'xed and rigidly Vholds the ends of tubes 44 for the inner iluid. The other end of tubes `44 is fast to the free tube plate 45, which is of the demountable typeand provided with an axial internal fluid outlet conduit 46. The inletofthe inner uid takes place through bottom cover 47. 4Conduit 46 freely slides water-tight through Vthe end of the outside envelope 40 so as to permit a free expansion of the tube bunch. The stuing box 48 is so dimensioned as to permit during erection the passage through the envelope of the end flange of .conduit 46. To permit the assembling of the stuffing box, its two parts yare d ivided in a plane passing through the axis.

The exchanger according to Fig. l2 comprises a cylindrical outer envelope 50 provided with connections `51 and 52 for the inlet and outlet of the outer fluid, a .tube bunch 53 connecting two tube plates 54 Vand 55, both free and demountable, each of them provided with `an axial conduit 56 for the passage of the inner fluid. Conduits 56 are free to expand axially in'respect to the envelope, and Y stuing boxes 57 are provided. The Vinside surfaces of conduits 56 and tube plates 54 and 55 are coated `with a corrosion resisting material, so that the mechanical strength to resist the internal pressure is` ti'ussed,A tothe outer material, apt to withstand high stresses...

It is of courseunderstood that the particulars of lconstruction of the .exchanger may vary without` going, kfor this reason, out of the ambit and protection of the patent of invention; vI claim: f

1. A heat exchange apparatus, comprising, in combination, an elongated uid-tight housing having opposite end walls and defining a chamber; a plurality of first andsecond tubular members in ksaid chamber and extending in the .direction of itslength, each` of said tubular members being. connected in the regionof one end thereof, to one of said end walls and havingan oppositeend spacedfrom comprises a cylinaseaave A, ond tubular members lying in a common plane, said combined connecting and conduit means being independent of said housing and movable relative thereto inthe direction of its length, said combined connecting and conduit means being constituted by an integral plate member arranged in said chamber normally to the direction of the length thereof, said plate member being formed with a plurality of substantially parallel bores therethrough, each adapted to receive in the region of one end thereof one of said tubular members and with avplurality of transverse passages between the outer faces of said element placing discrete assemblies of bores'in communication witheach other, each of said last-mentioned assembliesbeing constituted by bores adapted to receive a 'discrete assembly of rst tubular members and thecor'responding assembly of second tubular members, whereby a uid. medium introduced into said one end of any one of said first tubular members may flow therethrough, through said combined connecting conduit means, and throughra second tubular member which is included in ythat assembly of vsecond tubular members which is placed in ycommunication by said combined conduit and connecting means withthat assembly of first tubular members in which said one firstl tubular member is included while another iluid medium iiows through said ,chamber exteriorly of said tubular members thereby permitting heat exchange to take place between the vfluid media and whereby said combined connecting and conduit means may move relative to said housing in the direction of itsV length during lengthwise expansion and contraction of said tubular members; and a plurality of closure means in eachkof said bores, respec- `tively, in the region of the opposite ends thereof, said closure means being removable from said bores so as to permit cleaning thereof and of said tubular members.

2. A heat exchange apparatusV as dened in claim `l wherein each of said plurality of transverse passages extends to the rim portion of said elementgand a plurality of additional closure means in each of said passages, re-` spectively, inthe region of said rim portion, said additional closure means being removable from, said passages so as to permit cleaning thereof.

YReferences Cited in the file of this patent U'NITED STATES PATENTS 267,797 Miles Nom-21,1882 1,024,641 Mackie Apr. Y30, 1912. 1,241,190 Braun Sept. 25,- 1917 1,72`6,995 Sieder Sept.' 3,1929

1,799,734V Cross Apr. 7, 1931 1,813,754 Metzgar July 7, '1931 2,226,494 Iacocks Dec.l 24, 1940 2,336,879 vMelder Dec. 14, 71943 2,363,526 Hobbs Nov. 28, 1,944 2,391,244 Jackson Dec. 18-,21945 2,693,346 Petersen Nov. 2, 195,4

Y FOREIGN PATENTS 513,865 Germany Dea-4, 1930 

